Vacuum cleaner cord reel mounting



,June 24, 1958 c. E. HANSEN 2,839,775

VACUUM CLEANER CORD REEL MOUNTING Filed Sept. 14, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet lJ6 J3 20 1'0 I a a 0 /zzzvewzfymatceg anew June 24, 1958 c. E. HANSENVACUUM CLEANER CORD REEL MOUNTING Filed Sept. 14, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 22,839,775 I Patented June 24, 1958 p 2,839,775 VACUUM CLEANER com REELMOUNTING Clarence. Ellegaard Hansen, Chicago, Ill., assignor, by 'mesneassignments, to 'Whirlpool Corporation, a corporation of DelawareApplication September 14, 1954, Serial No. 455,877

Claims. (Cl. 15--,-323) This invention relates to a cord reel mountingfor a vacuum cleaner.

In many vacuum cleaners the electric cord that is adapted to be pluggedinto a socket as a source of power is mounted on a reel so that the cordcan be pulled out to the desired length and then when the cleaning jobis completed, reeled in and stored within the reel.

This invention provides a cord reel mounting apparatus by means of whichthe cord reel may be mounted on the vacuum cleaner when it is desired touse such a reel but which may be removed fromthe cleaner when it isdesired to use the cleaner. without a reel. The cord reel mountingapparatus of this invention comprises an extended member adapted to beinserted into the exhaust port of a vacuum cleaner, latch mechanismhaving a catch portion removably engageable with an arcuate groove thatis adjacent to the port and that is normally used for removablyreceiving a catch 'for an exhaust air conduit in serted in the port, anda rotation restraining member removably engageable with a part of thecleaner to prevent substantial rotational movement of the catch portionin the groove and thus in the extended member in the port. This andother features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description of the invention taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings showing one embodiment of the invention. Of thedrawings: 7 I

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a vacuum cleaner embodying theinvention.

Fig.2 is a fragmentary elevational view of the exhaust end of thecleaner, partially in vertical section.

Fig. 3 is a detailed enlarged sectional elevational view of the cleaner.p

Fig. 4 is a sectional View, taken substantially along line 4--4 of Fig.2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the vacuum cleaner is of thetank type and comprises an elongated casing adapted to be supported onasurface 11 with this casing being providedwith'a pair ofend caps 12 andnited States Patent openings 13a extending therearound and operating asex- 7' haust openings.

13. The'front end cap 12 is rotata'b'ly'mounted on a hinge .hose may beattached during the cleaning operation. The

end cap 12 is normally held closed by means of an ordinary toggle clamp15. j

Located adjacent to the rear of the cleaner is a handle 16 provided witha combined switch and electrical-connecting socket 17. The switch isprovided with a switch operating button 18 while the electrical socketis provided with a depression 19 containing a pair of prongs 20. Theseprongs are adapted to make electrical contact with a conduit socket 21inserted into the depression 19 and over the prongs 20 in the customarymanner. 3

The rear end cap 13 is providedwith a plurality of air Mounted on theend cap 13 and spaced inwardly of the inner surface thereof is atransverse plate 22 containing a plurality of centrally located openings22a and a circular rearwardly extending ridge 22b. The openings 22a arewithin the ridge 22b. Normally spaced rearwardly of this plate 22 is asecond plate 23 having centrally located openings 23a therein covering arelatively small area. The plate 23 is mounted for movement toward andaway from the plate 22 on three rearwardly extending pins 24 aroundwhich are located coil springs 25 to urge the movable plate 23 away fromthe plate 22. This construction operates as a valve in directing theexhaust air in a desired course and is described more fully andspecifically claimed in my copending application Serial No. 456,370,filed Sept. 16, 1954, now Patent No. 2,754,048.

Located within the cleaner is an ordinary suction fan and motor unitcomprising a multi-stage fan 26 driven by an electric motor 27, withboth being mounted on a transverse solid plate 28. The internalconstruction of the fan 26 and motor 27 are each conventional. Themounting for this unit is described more fully and claimed in mycopending application Serial No. 458,597, filed Sept. 27, 1954.

The rear end cap 13 is provided with a tubular member 29 operating as anexhaust port when the vacuum cleaner is used as a blower. On the innersurface of this tubular member there is provided an annular groove 29aextending all the way around the tubular member and opening inwardlythereof. This groove-is used primarily for removably receiving a catchfor an exhaust air conduit when the conduit is rotatably mounted in theport 2% formed by the tubular member. This function of the tubularmember 29 and groove 29a is shown and described in my above mentionedPatent No. 2,754,048. 9

With 'the construction described herein, the vacuum cleaner may beoperated with or without a cord reel. If a cord reel is not used, anelectric cord is plugged into engagement with the'prongs 20 and then theother end is plugged into an ordinary electric outlet to supply power tothe motor 27. However, if it is desired to use a cord reel, this reel 30which may be of the usual and ordinary construction maybe provided withan electric cord 31 which may be reeled into the interior of the reelwhen not in use. The other end 31a of the cord extends from the; reeland is provided with a plug 21 which is adapted to engage the prongs 20in the manner shown in the draw- The invention described herein is notconcerned withany internal construction details of the reel 30 as thisreel is purely conventional. The invention is concerned only with theimproved cord reel mounting apparatus.

, The cord reel mounting apparatus includes a hollow cylindricalextended member 32 made of sheet metal and riveted to one wall of thereel 30. This cylindrical member 32 is adapted to be inserted into theexhaust port 29b formed by the tubular member 29 when the cord reel isattached to the cleaner in the manner shown in the drawings. This sheetmetal cylindrical member 32 carries a latch mechanism which releasablylatches the cord reel to the cleaner.

In the embodiment shown, this latch mechanism includes a lever 33fulcrumed at one end 33:: within the cylindrical extended member 32.This lever which may be made of a strip of sheet metal is provided witha catch portion 33b adjacent to the fulcrumed end 33a and having theshape of a reverse bend in the lever 33. This catch portion 33b extendsthroughan opening 32a in the cylindrical member 32 to engage thecircular groove 29a in order to retain the cylindrical member 32 withinthe tubular member 29.

The lever 33 is also provided With an outwardly extending portion 33cwhich is spaced from the catch portion 33b and which extends outwardlythrough a second opening 32b in the cylindrical member 32. p

The portion 330 is provided with a forwardly extendingrotation-restraining portion 33d adapted to engage a radial groove 13bon the outer surface of the end cap 13. With this construction the catchportion 3312 that is received within the circular groove 23%: preventsthe tubular member 32 from being accidentally withdrawn from the tubularmember 29. The rotation-restraining portion 33d by engaging the radialgroove 13b prevents the cylindrical extended member 32 from beingrotated on the end cap while the cord 31 is being reeled out and takenup.

In order to hold the lever 33 in place within the extended member 32 andto urge the portions 33b and 33d into engagement with their respectivegrooves, a leaf spring 34 is provided Within the extended member 32.This leaf spring has one end riveted to the extended member 32 and theother end bearing outwardly against the portion of the lever between thecatch portion 33b and the outwardly extending portion 330.

Having described my invention as related to the embodiments shown in theaccompanying drawings, it is my intention that the invention be notlimited by any of the details of description, unless otherwisespecified, but rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scopeas set out in the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. In a vacuum cleaner having a wall provided with a tubular exhaustport and a circular groove on the inner surface of said tubesubstantially concentric therewith for removably receiving a catch foran exhaust air conduit when said conduit is rotatably mounted in saidport, cord reel mounting apparatus, comprising: an extended memberadapted to enter said exhaust port; latch mechanism including a levercarried by the extended member and movable thereon, the lever having acatch portion adapted to engage said circular groove to retain theextended member in said port; means on said cleaner wall for restrainingrotation of said catch portion in said groove, the latch including arotationrestraining portion removably engageable with said restraningmeans to prevent substantial rotational movement of the catch portion insaid groove and thus of the extended member in the port; and singlespring means normally urging the lever outwardly into said engagementwith said groove and said restraining means.

2. In a vacuum cleaner having a Wall providedwith a tubular exhaust portand a circular groove on the inner surface of said tube substantiallyconcentric therewith for removably receiving a catch for an exhaust airconduit when said conduit is rotatably mounted in said port;

cord reel mounting apparatus, comprising: a hollow extended memberadapted to enter said exhaust 'port; latch mechanism including a leverfulcrumed at one end within 4 said extended member, the lever having acatch portion extending through an opening in the extended member andadapted to engage said circular groove to retain the extended member insaid port; means on said cleaner Wall for restraining rotation of saidcatch portion in said groove, the latch including a rotation-restrainingportion extending through a second opening in said extended member andadapted to engage said restraining means to prevent substantialrotational movement of the catch,

portion in said groove and thus of the extended member in the port; andspring means within said extended member normally urging the leveroutwardlyinto said engagement with said groove and said restraningmeans.

3. In a vacuum cleaner having a Wall provided with an exhaust port andan arcuate catch-receiving groove adiacent to said port andsubstantially concentric therewith for removably receiving a catch foran exhaust air conduit when said conduit is rotatably mounted in saidport, cord reel mounting apparatus, comprising: an extended memberadapted to enter said exhaust port; latch mechanism having a catchportion removably engageable with said groove to retain the extendedmember in said port; means on said cleaner wall for restraining rotationof said catch portion in said groove, the latch including arotation-restraining member forming a part of the latch portion andmovable therewith, the restraining member being removably engageablewith said restraining means to prevent substantial rotational movementof the catch portion in said groove and thus of the extended member inthe port.

4. In a vacuum cleaner having a casing provided with a tubular exhaustport andan arcuate groove on an inner surface of said tube substantiallyconcentric therewith for removably receiving a catch for an exhaust airconduit when said conduit is rotatably mounted in said port, cord reelmounting apparatus, comprising: a hollow extended member adapted toenter said exhaust port; latch mechanism including a lever fulcrumed atone end within said extended member, the lever having a catch portionextending through an opening in the extended member and adapted toengage said groove to retain the extended member in said port, saidcasing having an inwardly directed cavity, the latch including arotation-restraining portion removably engageable with said cavity toprevent substantial rotational movement of the catch portion in saidgroove and thus of the extended member in the port; and spring meanswithin said extended member normally urging the lever outwardly intosaid engagement with said grooveand said cavity.

5. The cord reel mounting apparatus of claim 4 wherein saidrotation-restraining portion of said latch extends through an opening insaid extended member.

References'Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,322,038 Lofgren June 15, 1943 2,337,906 Lofgren Dec. 28, 19432,444,892 Kelly July 6, 1948 2,516,883 Kelly Aug. 1, 1950

